A KIT FOR ASSESSING THE PRO-INFLAMMATORY IMMUNE HEALTH OF AN INDIVIDUAL

• US 20070150203A1
• Filed: 12/27/2005
• Published: 06/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Wiegand, Benjamin, Luedtke, Kathryn
• Application Number:
  US11/318,867
• Publication Number:
  US 20070150203A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/19
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2333/5412 IL-6
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2800/24 Immunology or allergic disorders
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/5091 for testing the pathological state of an organism
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/6869 Interleukin
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/6893 related to diseases not provided for elsewhere
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0092 Nutrition
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/40 for data related to laboratory analysis, e.g. patient specimen analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/70 relating to mental therapies, e.g. psychological therapy or autogenous training
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of assessing the pro-inflammatory immune health of a healthy individual comprising: (a) establishing a benchmark pro-inflammatory protein value set, wherein the pro-inflammatory protein value is determined by a calculation made using levels of pro-inflammatory protein measured in samples of non-blood body fluid collected from healthy individuals at one or more time points in a 24 hour period; (b) determining an optimal pro-inflammatory protein value range from the benchmark pro-inflammatory protein value set established in (a) by using descriptive statistic methodology; (c) establishing a pro-inflammatory protein value for said individual to be assessed, wherein said value is determined by the same calculation as set forth in (a); and (d) comparing the value established in step (c) to the optimal pro-inflammatory protein value range determined in step (b), wherein a pro-inflammatory protein value for said individual that is within the optimal pro-inflammatory protein value range is indicative of good pro-inflammatory immune health and wherein a pro-inflammatory protein value that is outside the optimal pro-inflammatory protein value range is indicative of inferior pro-inflammatory immune health.

Claims

1. A method of motivating a healthy individual to improve lifestyle factors, said method comprising:

(a) assessing the pro-inflammatory immune health of a healthy individual comprising;

(i) establishing a benchmark pro-inflammatory protein value set of the value of pro-inflammatory protein at least at one time point in a 24 hour period in non-blood body fluid of healthy, individuals;

(ii) determining an optimal pro-inflammatory protein value range from the benchmark pro-inflammatory protein value set established in (i) by using descriptive statistic methodology;

(iii) establishing a pro-inflammatory protein value for said individual to be assessed, wherein said value is determined by the same calculation as set forth in (i); and

(iv) comparing the value established in step (iii) to the optimal pro-inflammatory protein value range determined in step (ii), wherein a pro-inflammatory protein value for said individual that is within the optimal pro-inflammatory protein value range is indicative of good pro-inflammatory immune health and wherein a pro-inflammatory protein value that is outside the optimal pro-inflammatory protein value range is indicative of inferior pro-inflammatory immune health;

(b) reporting comparison of (iv) to said individual;

wherein said individual is motivated by said comparison to improve, change, or maintain lifestyle factors.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said report is delivered to said individual using motivational interviewing techniques.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the report is delivered via at least one of the following channels:

i. the internet;

ii. a retail outlet;

iii. a spa;

iv. email;

v. regular or express mail.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein said comparison is completed periodically throughout a recommended treatment program.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the report is given as a promotion to motivate individuals to purchase treatment products.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the non-blood body fluid is saliva, nasal secretions, tears, breath, semen or combinations thereof.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the non-blood body fluid is saliva.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the level of pro-inflammatory protein in saliva is measured using an ELISA or RIA technique.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pro-inflammatory protein is selected from a c-reactive protein, cytokines, and mixtures thereof.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein said cytokine is selected from interleukin 1α

, interleukin-1β

, interleukin-2, interleukin-6, interferon-alpha, interferon-gamma, tumor necrosis factor-α

, growth factors, omcogenes and mixtures thereof.

11. The method according to claim 10 wherein the cytokine is interleukin-6.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the benchmark pro-inflammatory protein value set is established by measuring the pro-inflammatory protein value of at greater than 25 healthy individuals.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein said pro-inflammatory protein value is determined by measuring the level of pro-inflammatory protein at least at one of the following time points:

(1) at or about waking;

(2) about 30 minutes post waking;

(3) about 60 minutes post waking;

(4) about 6 hours post waking;

(5) about 10 hours post waking;

(6) about 16 hours post waking.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the level of pro-inflammatory protein is measured at least at one of the following time points:

(1) at or about waking;

(2) about 30 minutes post waking;

(3) about 6 hours post waking;

(4) about 10 hours post waking.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the level of pro-inflammatory protein is measured at least at one of the following time points:

(1) at or about waking; and

(2) about 30 minutes post waking.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the pro-inflammatory protein is measured at least at one of the following time points:

(1) about 10 hours post waking; and

(2) about 16 hours post waking.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the descriptive statistic methodology is calculating the median value and defining the optimal range as the median value +/−

10%.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the descriptive statistic methodology is calculating the median value and defining the optimal range as the median value +/−

20%.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein the descriptive statistic methodology is calculating the median value and defining the optimal range as the mean value +/−

10%.

20. The method according to claim 1, wherein the descriptive statistic methodology is calculating the median value and defining the optimal range as the mean value +/−

20%.

21. The method according to claim 1, wherein the descriptive statistic methodology is calculating the median value and defining the range as the mean value +/−

1 standard deviations.

22. The method according to claim 1, wherein the descriptive statistic methodology is calculating the median value and defining the range as the mean value +/−

2 standard deviations.

23. The method according to claim 1, wherein the descriptive statistic methodology is to divide the data into 10th percentiles and define the optimal range as a subset of the 10th percentiles.

24. The method according to claim 1, wherein the descriptive statistic methodology is to divide the data into 10th percentiles and define the optimal range as a subset of the 10th percentiles wherein the optimal range is defined as the 30th through 70th percentile.

25. The method according to claim 1, wherein the descriptive statistic methodology is to divide the data into 10th percentiles and define the optimal range as a subset of the 10th percentiles, wherein the optimal range is defined as the 40th through 60th percentile.

26. The method according to claim 1, wherein the assessment includes an assessment of the effect on pro-inflammatory immune health, of at least one lifestyle factor of said individual to be assessed.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein said lifestyle factor is selected from at least one of the following:

(1) the quantity and/or frequency of smoking or chewing any form of tobacco;

(2) sleep quantity and quality;

(3) alcohol consumption;

(4) caffeine consumption; and

(5) body weight.

28. The method according to claim 26, wherein one of the following assessment tools is used to assess said lifestyle factor:

(1) self-report questionnaire;

(2) interviews;

(3) psychometric assessment tools; and

(4) biometric assessment tools.